Kiss Me Deadly
by megsjedi
Summary: AU Dino Thunder. Cody is new at Reefside. As someone with an uncomfortable secret, he tries to be a loner, but a certain soccer player draws him in. Danger descends; can Cody survive loving a Power Ranger? Connor/OC. M/M, language, etc.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- Saban owns the Power Rangers, not me. If I owned them, I'd be rich and not sitting on my couch on Saturday nights. This story isn't for sale, no money being made, it's only the playground of my mind spilling out onto keyboard and into my word processor. No bad things intended, it's all for fun. No lawsuits allowed. So there.

Rating- M for all chapters, just to cover all the bases. AU, bad language, m/m situations, adult stuff. M/M means relations between two men, so if you're 'phobic, or under 18, this isn't the fic for you. Flamers, beware, for I am a dragon and you taste good with ketchup.

A/N- I bet there are some of my readers saying "OMG, she likes the _Power Rangers???"_ Ya, I do, I really do. So what? If you don't, go read my other fics, or mushy Harry Potter/Hermione Granger crap.

Chapter 1

Cody Griffith stood next to his slightly-beat-up '72 Skylark, staring apprehensively at the brick edifice of Reefside High School. Hunching deeper into his black hoodie (which was two sizes too big), he frowned. He didn't want to be here; it was his freakin' senior year! He should have been in San Francisco, in his home neighborhood, with his life-long friends, making plans for raising some serious Hell during the final year of his school career.

Instead, there he was, standing in front of a new school in a tiny hick town (well, maybe not tiny, but was a speck compared to SanFran) with no friends, and all because his mother just _had_ to take a new job and haul him away from everything he knew and loved.

Hauling his hood over his head, Cody slouched his way inside, dodging shoves in the crush of other students. The front office was easy to find. He passed his transfer papers (transferring in the middle of September!) to the secretary and waited silently until she passed him his schedule. He thanked her politely and set off on the first day of the rest of his senior year. _What a drag._

Cody was glad he'd memorized a map of Reefside High before he'd come; otherwise, he'd've lost his way in the first ten seconds. Ignoring whispers of "Grim Reaper" and "Ringwraith" weren't difficult, he'd heard worse. _These guys have no imagination at all. A monkey has better insults to throw._ Cody knew he was being totally anti-social, but he wanted to get a better feel of the place before he tried to make any overtures.

Get the "feel" literally. As in, feelings. Cody could sense the feelings of others, unless he shut them out, which he always did. If he didn't, he'd go insane from the flood of other people's emotions. He only left himself "open" enough to get advance warning when a jerk or gang of bullies decided he looked like fair game.

Cody grabbed fruit and a bottle of orange juice in the cafeteria at lunchtime and bolted outside. Fresh air, and the sky overhead! Yes! Wandering to a picnic table, he sat down and got out his textbooks. He only had to glance through the lessons; this was stuff he already knew. He'd chosen to pick subjects he excelled in on purpose. Might as well make his senior year an easy one. He put his books away and got out his Nintendo DS, venturing into the land of Final Fantasy IV as he ate.

He didn't get caught off his guard when a hand tried to swipe the game out of his hands. He simply pulled it close to his chest, then shut the game and tucked it into his bag.

"Hey!"

Cody ducked under a swat at his head, zipping the bag and settling a strap over one shoulder before turning around. Great. Big dumb jocks who wanted to haze the new kid. "Do you have a problem?" he asked tall, blond and stupid, not letting his hood fall back even if he did have to look up. Cody was short and slim, only 5'4'' and a hundred pounds soaking wet.

"I just wanted to look at it," Blondie smirked, cracking his knuckles obnoxiously.

"Go buy your own," Cody said calmly, walking away. Idiots! They followed and tried to box him in. Avoiding every attempt to capture him only made Blondie madder. It was so stupid! Didn't these big dirty apes realize that all he wanted was to avoid hurting people and be left alone?

Suddenly, Cody wasn't alone; he stopped moving, sensing that the three standing behind him were the good guys.

"Derrick, I thought you'd stopped this bullying bullshit." Mmm, nice voice, very nice voice.

"I was just havin' a little fun, McKnight, I wouldn't have hurt him," Blondie said, backing off.

"Looked like he never would have _let_ you hit him anyway." Lyrical female voice, dripping with amusement.

"Nice moves, man!" That male voice was edged with an excited squeak.

"Thank you." Cody replied, inclining his head in the direction of his benefactors. "For everything. And… Derrick, was it? Don't do that again. I was trying not to hurt you. If you ever manage to startle me… it won't be pretty." Cody left silence in his wake as he walked back toward the school building. At least his next class was Science, he liked Science. And why was he regretting not getting a look at The Helpful Three?

XXXXXXX

Ethan bounced on his toes, watching the boy in black enter the school building. "How _cool_ was that?"

"Pretty cool," Conner nodded, also watching. Why was he so interested, anyway? _For one, he held his own against Derrick and didn't fight back in a typical way. Two, he's the mysterious type. And I have a feeling that he's a first-class kinda guy. I wish he'd taken the hood down._

"Conner, you in there?" Kira thumped him on the arm. "The bell rang! Dr. O isn't happy when we're late!"

The trio made it to class right before the bell rang. Connor wanted to groan when he saw Cassidy begin her usual spiel to the new kid, who was still lurking somewhere inside his sweatshirt. Devin trailed Cassidy like a faithful dog, camera in hand.

"Get that camera away from me," was the snarling response to Cassidy's question, "and keep your nosy questions to _yourself_!"

"I think I like him," Ethan joked.

Conner watched Cassidy storm across the room to her seat, leaving Devin in the dust. _He sounded like Mezagog in a wicked bad mood._ Conner was impressed. So impressed that he left Kira and Ethan, and sat down next to the boy in black. "Hi. I'm Conner McKnight." He held out a hand.

"Cody Griffith," was his answer, and a pale, slim but strong hand clasped Conner's briefly.

Dr. O entered the classroom, ending anymore idle talk. Looking around, the teacher gave the class his charming-absentminded-professor smile, setting a pile of books on his desk. Conner noticed, from the corner of his eye, that Cody's body language went from "somewhat tense" to "a lot more relaxed."

"Ah. I see our new student has arrived. Guys, this is Cody Griffith, he just moved here from San Francisco." Dr. O smiled sympathetically, like he knew what transferring was like. "Cody, how about coming out from under the shroud? I like knowing what my students look like."

Most of the jerks in class snickered; Dr. O quelled them with a look. Conner was hiding a wince; why not just stand Cody under a spotlight?

Cody got off his stool and took off the enveloping sweatshirt. Everyone in the class was dumbstruck; a few gasped, one girl let out a soft squeak. The exceptions were Conner, Kira, Ethan and Dr. O.

Cody drew himself up and lifted his chin stubbornly, dark grey eyes daring someone to say something. He had long, _long_ hair that was pulled back into a thick tail. His physique was wiry instead of bulky, and both ears were pierced with small diamond studs.

The thing that put people off was the scar that bisected the right side of his face. A lengthy scar that started above the eyebrow and ended near the corner of his mouth. It was pale, long-healed, yet people gaped like it was open and bleeding.

"Close your mouths, you're gonna catch flies. Besides, shouldn't class be starting?" Cody mocked everyone with his voice as he sat down again.

"Eyes front, people." Dr. O commanded. "Today, I plan to talk some more about the Triassic Period…" Conner paid attention, but kept sneaking glances at Cody, who did nothing but take notes and casually watching Dr. O.

XXXXXXX

Cody felt like a wrung-out dish rag by the end of the school day. He sat in his car and forced tension out of his body, breathing deeply. _At least there's _one _respite during the day. Dr. Oliver and Conner are two very soothing people. The unveiling would have been worse if they hadn't been there…_

Part of him wanted to resent Dr. Oliver for not leaving him alone. The rest of him held no grudge. Sooner or later, a teacher would have forced him out of his sweatshirt. At least Dr. O had been kind about it.

"Hey. Cody?"

Cody opened his eyes and turned his head. It was the most stunning female in Science class, standing near his open window. "Yes? Um, Kira, right?" Perhaps he had no interest in girls, but Kira's aesthetic beauty was off the charts, inside and out.

"Yeah. Are you feeling ok? You look done in."

"I'm all right. First day, new school, you know?"

"Stress, freak-out." Kira nodded. Kira herself was a calm presence, deep and still, yet vibrating at the same time. "Look, everyone hangs out at Haley's Cyberspace after school. You should come too."

She was so earnest and sincere that Cody couldn't say no. "I'll be there."

Cody drove over to the cybercafé and parked. This did seem to be a hot place to hang, since it was packed. The noise level went down when he entered, and the staring started again. He kept his pace at a laid-back stroll, but on the inside, he struggled against getting drowned in uneasiness, suspicion, and fear he sensed. _Dammitall, it's only a scar! Would you freaks back the fuck off, please?_

A boy with a drink tray nearly ran into him, and Cody steadied the tray before it spilled without a thought. The boy smiled in gratitude. "Sorry, I get clumsy sometimes."

"Happens to everyone," Cody shrugged, returning the smile before moving on to the counter. He ordered a wheat grass smoothie, then looked around for a place to sit. To his intense relief, Conner was there, sitting with his friend Ethan. Conner saw him and waved, a clear invitation. Cody slid into the seat beside him and basked in Conner's calm.

"People are stupid sometimes, huh?" Ethan asked in sympathy.

"Sometimes, yes." Cody agreed, taking a drink of his smoothie. He could endure the staring now.

"They're acting like you're horrifyingly disfigured," Conner observed in disgust, glaring around.

"They're kids," Cody shrugged again. "Most of them probably haven't been in a true fight in their lives, much less seen someone with a scar like mine. It was a miracle that the knife missed my eye."

"You say that like you're not the same age as everyone else." Ethan observed.

"I'm gay," Cody candidly admitted. He'd never spent any time in the closet. "Even liberal San Francisco has bigots and haters. Made me grow up pretty fast." He absently trailed a finger down his right cheek. "I got this a year and half ago from a maniac with a switchblade who screamed about ungodliness while he tried to kill me."

Now Conner was staring at him. Cody squirmed in his seat, sensing surprise, confusion, and incredulity from his new friend. "What?" he asked, flinching inwardly. He wasn't ashamed of being gay, but he was afraid he'd lose Conner's friendship in the next moment.

"Someone _attacked_ you with a _knife_ because you're gay?" Conner was outraged. "That's bullshit! I can't believe it! Did anyone do something about it?"

Cody hid a sigh of relief. Even Ethan was upset, another good sign that he'd found good people to be friends with. "A cop pulled him off me, there were seven witnesses, and Mom had the DA throw the book at him. He's still doing time for assaulting a minor with a deadly weapon."

"Good," Conner said hotly, and Ethan nodded his agreement.

"So… I don't mean to insult them when I say they're kids, but they are. They've still got… innocence. Violence hasn't touched them. I doubt that any of them have ever been stressed by anything worse than a speeding or parking ticket. _Maybe_ a couple have bad home lives, but they cover it up thoroughly so no one ever knows."

Ethan was impressed. "You know a lot about the human condition, Cody."

"You could be, like, a psychiatrist or something," Conner grinned.

Cody laughed. "Naw. Everyone hates shrinks."

"We'd like you even if you were a shrink," Ethan announced, patting Cody on the shoulder.

"We sure would." Conner's smile warmed Cody down to his toes.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer, ratings and warnings are at the top of page 1.

A/N- Thought I'd pump out a few chapters before posting, get some feedback on how people like it, and see if I'll keep on writing it. So, people, give me feedback, even it's just one word. Feedback will keep the story alive.

Chapter 2

Over the next few weeks, Cody was taken under the wing of Connor and his friends. It was so _wicked_ to have friends like them. Ethan was smart enough to keep up with him. Kira shared her music with him, and would listen if he made a few astute suggestions. They even took to singing together while hanging out at lunch.

And Conner… Oh, Conner. If Cody were the type to sigh and sulk and moon, he would have over Conner. Conner was always listened to him, patient, loyal and maybe if he was excitable sometimes, well, the guy had a lot of energy. But with the way that Conner chased girls, Cody knew he had no chance.

It would have been maddening, if not for Science. Paleontology was fascinating, and fit in rather well with Cody's tentative plans to major in archeology in college. He confessed his ambition to Dr. O, who gave him books and advice on choosing his college.

One thing was totally out of whack, though. Every day, after drinks at the cybercafé and hanging a while, Connor, Kira and Ethan just _vanished_. Even Trent dropped off the face of the world once in a while.

Cody tried not to feel hurt, and usually stayed at Haley's, troubleshooting the computers or tutoring a student with problems on one subject or another. Then he'd go home, work out, eat dinner, watch TV or surf the Net, and then go to bed.

He just really wished he knew _where_ his friends took off to, and _why_ they didn't tell him. They had to have a good reason, Cody just wanted them to trust him enough to let him in on it. But real trust wasn't built in days or a few weeks. He'd just have to wait and see what happened.

XXXXXXX

Conner slammed away at the punching bag, his mind chasing two subjects around his skull until he wished he could _beat_ them out of his mind. He paused, seeing Dr. O leave off training Kira and coming for him.

"What's eating you, Conner?" the young teacher asked candidly, perching on a nearby bench. "Don't tell me it's nothing; you've been whaling on that bag almost hard enough to break it."

Conner grabbed a towel, and found a way to put what he was thinking about into words. "It's weird, Dr. O. Cody, he's a little freaky sometimes. Not in a bad way!" he added hastily when the Black Ranger frowned. "I mean… he _always_ knows it when someone walks up behind him. He can walk right to someone who's upset and help them through what's bugging them. He looks tense between morning and lunch, but he relaxes when he's with us, or in your class."

"That _is_ weird," Dr. O agreed. "It could be that he doesn't feel comfortable around anyone else. From what you've told me, he hasn't had an easy life, and letting people in could hard. But you said he helps people too, without needing to be asked and expecting nothing in return. No one can sneak up on him?"

Conner shook his head. "No, not ever. Kira gave it a try once. He didn't even look over his shoulder, he just said, 'Kira, I know that's you, so stop pulling the 007.' He knew without looking!"

Dr. O looked grim. "Then he must be a telepath, or empathic. This is bad, Conner; he might find out about us through his mind-gift. Maybe you guys should back off from…"

"No." Conner said it without thought. "I won't, Dr. O, _I won't._ Cody doesn't have any friends besides us. If we flake out on him, other people will think there's something wrong about him, and he won't have _anyone._ I _can't_ do that to him…"

"You like him, huh?"

"He's a great guy, Dr. O. Scary-smart like Ethan, and funny. Compassionate and loyal. Man, he'd make an awesome Power Ranger. He even stood up to Derrick, and there was no fear in him. He didn't let Derrick hit him, but he didn't fight back either." Conner folded his arms. "He confuses me sometimes. One second, he'll be smiling, then he does some bi-polar thing and gets sad and walks away. I want to follow him and ask what's up, but I don't know how."

"It's not that hard, Conner. Just ask."

Before Conner could speak again, the red-alert wailed to life. Tyrannodrones were attempting to break into a laboratory. No rest for the wicked.

XXXXXXX

Cody hurried toward his mom's building, looking forward to seeing her. Once in a while, he dropped by to see her after school, and she liked having him there, showing off some of her less confidential projects for him. Her lab was away from the main Mercer Inc facilities, preferring a place where no one could just stroll right in.

Looking up from the ground, Cody stopped dead, jaw to the ground. There were… _lizard things_ in front of Mom's building. They had lots of teeth and claws. _And_ they were trying to batter down the security door!

Cody didn't hesitate; he reached into his bag, taking out a telescoping bo-staff. He hit the button that telescoped it, tossing his bag away. The staff was hollow, but made of a titanium alloy.

"Hey, Uglies!" Cody roared. "_Nobody_ messes with _my_ Mom!"

The lizard things turned from the building, a full half-dozen of them, and rushed him.

He found himself in the most intense fight he'd ever encountered. He was twirling, ducking, striking and dodging at top speed to keep them from crowding him into a wall or surrounding him. He was getting bruised and a little scratched, but he held his own quite well.

Then Cody was surrounded by colors: Red, Black, Yellow and Blue. _Power Rangers!_

Red Ranger waved him back. "Step back, we can take it from here!"

"Like Hell I will! My _mother_ is in that building!" Leaping forward, Cody pressed the offense; feeling his focus sharpen. He felt faster, stronger. He ended up back-to-back with the Black Ranger. He'd never fought so well in his life. Time blurred, then there weren't any lizard-things left.

"Whoa! That was some kinda freaky!" Cody exclaimed, raking his hair out of his eyes. "What the fuck _are_ those

things?"

"They're called Tyrannodrones," Blue answered. "Are you ok?"

"Am I _ok?_ I feel freakin' awesome! I just got to throw down with the _Power Rangers!_ "

"You've got great style. Savate?" Black said with approval.

"Yeah!"

Cody caught a flicker of motion from the corner of his eye. "_Look out!"_ He darted forward, shoving Red out of the way of an energy blast thrown by the _scariest_ black-haired chick he'd ever seen.

Of course, that left Cody wide-open and unprepared. The explosion deafened him before the concussive force threw him backward into darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer, ratings and warnings are at the top of page 1.

A/N- Well, I seem to be getting hits, and I got a review. Here's another chapter. Enjoy! More reviews, please! They feed the author's brain.

. This is my concept image of Cody. Made with dollwizard.

Chapter 3

Defeating Elsa and sending her running for her Master's cave seemed to take only seconds in Conner's perception. Elsa wasn't important. The only important thing about Elsa was to get her out of his way so he could get to Cody. Turning to look, he saw that Dr. O and Kira had beaten him to their fallen friend.

"He did it for me," Connor said numbly, joining them. Cody was very pale and his shirt was scorched. Conner knelt, taking Cody into his arms, making it easier for Dr. O to see the injuries. "Elsa tried to ambush me, and Cody shoved me out of the way."

"Not a great decision, seeing as how you were morphed and he wasn't," Kira observed, gently tugging blackened shirt material away from burned skin. The burns didn't seem to be _that_ bad; none were oozing or bleeding, or as bad as sunburn. His shirt had caught the worst, the rest was superficial. "Man, I'd like to know who his tailor is. This fabric is tough!"

"_I_ developed that fabric," a dry female voice announced. "Back when making materials was more important to me than what made up the compounds that made them." An older woman with a marked resemblance to Cody joined Conner.

"You must be Cody's mother," Ethan said. Conner's brain kicked back into full gear. _He sure took after her in the looks department…_

"Yes. Let me guess, he was trying to help you." Mrs. Griffith stroked her son's disheveled hair. "My Cody doesn't have a hero complex, but he always tries to help when he can. No one has to make apologies; I know how he is. He's a trouble magnet."

"I know the type," Dr. O said, and Conner knew that the comment was aimed his way. He wasn't as dim as he seemed to be. The "dumb jock" façade was one he'd worn so long that he didn't quite know what it would be like to be without it.

"Do you know why the Tyrannodrones were here?" Kira asked.

Mrs. Griffith frowned lightly. "Probably to steal something. I apologize, but my contract with Mercer Industries has a strict non-disclosure agreement written in. I can't talk about my classified work."

"Mercer," Conner heard Dr. O mutter the name under his breath.

"It's all right, Mrs. Griffith, we understand," Conner spoke up. "Some secrets have to be kept, no matter what."

She had the same quiet, husky laugh as her son. "Coming from a Power Ranger that takes on new meaning. Well, I can see that Cody will be fine. He hasn't got any bumps on the head that I can tell. No broken bones, either. Bring him inside, and I'll see to him. You must have some kind of important business to be about that's more important than sitting here."

For some reason, Conner felt a brief surge of rebellion. _What if I want to stay with him?_ Suppressing it, he carried Cody inside. _Dr. O probably does need me. What if there's another attack?_

XXXXXXX

Cody started cussing the next morning when he woke up about the various aches and pains all over, and didn't stop until he joined his mother for breakfast.

"Don't think I didn't hear you," Mom smiled in amusement. "I have to say that you've got quite the flair for using pungent language."

"Sorry," Cody said sheepishly, accepting a plate of pancakes and a glass of orange juice. Sitting at the table, he proceeded to slather on butter and syrup and started eating.

"You weren't speaking to my face, so I'll let it go. Cody, _please_ be more careful than you were yesterday. Protecting the Red Ranger was a laudable thing, but if you hadn't been wearing what you were, you would have been toast."

"Yeah," he had to confess. It was so weird; he could remember everything clearly, but when he analyzed the _feel_ of the fight, he felt like he'd been battling alongside good friends. _But I've never met a Power Ranger, at least not till yesterday. _

"You've been controlling your empathy very well," Mom complimented.

"It's not too hard, here. There are a lot less people in Reefside."

"I'm hoping that you can explore your limitations and finally learn to completely control it. That was one of my biggest reasons to move here; so you could be away from the big city and millions of people."

"Oh…" Cody thought that one over during a big bite of breakfast. Maybe there was a miniscule part of him that still resented being uprooted, but if they hadn't moved here, he'd never have met Conner, Kira and Ethan, the coolest set of friends a guy could want. Not even his buds back home understood him like they did. He was sorta fond of Trent, and Dr. O, and Haley at Haley's Cybercafé, too. "I'm happy here, Mom. I mean it."

"Good. You should stay home today and rest today, Cody. You're all bruised up."

"Nope. Can't let simple hurts like these stop me, Mom. I'll come home if I start hurting bad or get tired, promise."

"Stubborn."

Cody smiled sweetly. "Like mother, like son."

XXXXXXX

"So why don't you break me, shake me, hate me, take me over, and when the madness stops, then you will be alone…" Cody was singing softly as he took a seat in the cafeteria. Conner watched him from the doorway; Cody's back was to the door, and he was listening to his Ipod. _I'll get him this time…_

Conner crept up behind Cody, determined to surprise him. He wanted, quite badly, to know how his friend was feeling, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Less than a foot away…

"Conner, stop trying to act like a fieldmouse."

"Dammit! How do you _know_ every time when someone's gonna prank ya?" Conner demanded, cranky. "How do you know _who_ it is? This is freaky!"

Conner knew he'd said the wrong thing when Cody slid out of his chair sinuously and faced him, eyes snapping with fury. "Freaky? Well then, maybe I'll just go be a _freak_ someplace else!" What made Cody's anger more awful was the fact that he didn't yell; he spoke in such a soft and icy way, it made Conner shiver.

Cody was gracefully fast, too. He was out of the cafeteria before Conner gathered his wits and followed. Cody stopped in the far corner of the soccer field, about ten steps away from being off school grounds. "Cody, I-"

"Stop. I'm the one who's sorry," Cody interrupted Conner's apology. Cody was shaking, hands fisted at his sides, eyes closed tightly. "I just… I _hate_ that word, Conner. I can't believe I'm still so touchy about it. People have called me that most of my life, you'd think I'd have a thick skin by now."

"And I didn't even call you a freak." That was what Conner was so puzzled about.

"Your mouth said one thing, but your emotions said something else!"

Connor stared as Cody went bedsheet-white. "Forget I said that! I never said anything!"

"Cody, calm down, please?" Conner asked, holding his hands up. "Just chill out, everything's cool. You don't have to explain anything, just sit down before you fall."

Cody sat down, and Conner sat near, near enough to catch him if he fell over. They sat there for several companionably silent minutes. He noticed Kira, Ethan and Trent approach, and didn't stop them from taking seats on the springy grass.

"The problem is, I _am_ a freak," Cody said after a time. "Not only because I'm gay and short and as pretty as my mom… Ever since I was a kid, I've known how other people feel. I don't even have to _look_ at someone to know how they feel. I feel it in my head, in my own heart. It was hard to deal with in San Francisco, even though I grew up there. It's easier to control here, but I keep giving myself away, with how I speak up when I feel someone coming when my back is turned."

"Empathy," Ethan said. "Now it makes sense. And it must be stronger with us, since you know us so well."

Cody nodded, eyes on the ground. Kira reached out to touch Cody's shoulder, and jumped when he flinched away. "Please, don't touch me, I'm sore and black and blue. I was in a fight yesterday, and the Power Rangers showed up…"

Conner looked away in discomfort.

"What…" Cody sat up straight, peering at everyone around him. "You all had the same reaction, why…" He gasped. "It was _you! You're_ the Power Rangers!"

Trent grimaced. "Well, our cover's been blown to Hell now."

"You might as well have shouted it aloud." Cody smirked. "I felt like I was fighting beside friends, I didn't know then that I literally was."

"You're sore and bruised, huh?" Kira asked in sympathy.

"Quite, and my chest feels sunburnt, but I've felt worse, trust me." Cody swallowed. "You guys _do_ trust me, right? I swear, I'll _never_ tell anyone. Not even my mom if you don't want me to. I _promise._"

"We trust you." Conner felt complete confidence when he said it. "We know your secret, you know ours. We _are_ friends, right guys?" Ethan, Trent and Kira all voiced their agreement.

Cody heaved a long sigh, and leaned against Conner. Conner was surprised, but he didn't freeze up or move away. He turned a little bit so Cody would be more comfortable, but that was all. The others looked askance at him; he shook his head. He felt fine, better than fine, even though a boy was leaning into his body. He should have felt shocked, outraged, anything but fine.

And wasn't _that_ a kick in the head?


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer, ratings and warnings are at the top of page 1.

A/N: Still getting hits, and there's one faithful follower, so I guess I'll keep writing.

Chapter 4

It was all Cody could do to stand still and calm under Dr. Oliver's scrutiny. "He figured it out by himself?" the teacher asked Kira.

She nodded affirmative, slightly anxious. Cody understood her anxiety; he'd been studied by a Marine once, the same study Dr. O was doing now. Like he was being weighed, measured, taken apart and put back together with machine-like accuracy.

"Dr. O, he needs help," Conner spoke stubbornly. "This empathy thing hurts him. Isn't there anything you can do for him?"

"Maybe. But the help I offer, it'll take a lot of willpower and practice."

"Do I look like a slacker to you?" Cody's reply wasn't quite a challenge. "Mastering savate took willpower and practice, and discipline. I can do my best to learn what you can teach me, I'll give it 120 percent effort."

"And I promise to not force you past your limits, Cody." Dr. O clasped his shoulder with a smile. "Welcome to the team."

Cody knew that he wasn't a Ranger, and would never be a Ranger, but Dr. O's welcome was a nice gesture.

XXXXXXX

Conner watched as Dr. O began to train Cody with mental exercise. It started off with light meditation, and went on from there, into the realms of the deep meditation that Conner had never been able to master.

Unable to keep from feeling nervous, Conner went to the other Rangers to work on his own training. It wouldn't help Cody to have him around getting edgy. It'd probably end up hurting his chances of success in the end.

A few hours later, when the Rangers finished their workouts, Dr. O coached Cody out of the trance-state he'd been in. Cody was pale and sweating as he opened his eyes. "I didn't know it would _hurt_ so much," he gasped, slumping over to rest his head on his ankles.

"I suspected it might," Dr. O said sympathetically, stretching.

"Is it supposed to hurt?" Conner asked, sitting beside Cody and draping a towel over his shoulders.

"Not normally, but Cody has been trying for years to manage by himself, mostly by guesswork. We need to work out what's been helping and what's been hindering. Sifting through it all is going to take all his concentration."

Conner put one hand on Cody's back, slowing rubbing soothing circles over trembling muscles. It seemed to help, so Conner kept doing it. He never noticed the others leaving; he was intent on helping Cody get through the hurt. He couldn't have said, later, how much time passed before Cody moved, settling his head on Conner's leg.

_Funny. I really ought to be freaking out. I should feel like he's invading my space, but the only thing I feel is… comfortable. _Conner ran his fingers through Cody's hair, marveling at how much it felt like silk, just as soft as any girl's hair he'd ever touched.

Cody sat up and looked away, and his face was red. "I shouldn't take liberties like that, Conner, I'm sorry."

Conner had to laugh. "Hey, did I do anything to stop you? Cody, I'm not freaked." Conner pulled Cody's unresisting body into a hug. It felt very different, holding a guy instead of a girl. There was nothing roundly soft about Cody's body; there were smooth planes of muscle instead. Cody hugged him back after a few seconds.

It felt… _good_ to hold Cody. To sniff his hair, trail with lips from his hairline to his neck. To feel his breath go erratic. To tilt his chin up, closing the distance between them…

Cody jerked back. "Connor, are you _sure_? Do you truly want to follow through? I don't want you to feel, right out of the blue, like you jumped into the pool too fast."

Conner paused; he was going to kiss a boy. He _wanted_ to kiss a boy. Well, not just any boy, he wanted to kiss _Cody_. "I'm sure."

Conner pulled Cody close again, and their mouths met. Instant fire ignited in his veins, and he had no problem with getting into it. He lost himself, kissing the boy in his arms insistently, intent on tasting Cody's mouth as much as humanly possible. Forever later, they broke for air, breathless. "I've decided I like kissing you," Conner grinned, brushing his fingertips down Cody's face.

"I've been dreaming about this since I met you."

"Is it as good as your dreams?"

"Nope, it was a million times better!"

"Dude."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimers, warnings and ratings are at the top of page 1.

A/N- Over 100 hits so far, and TBjpr seems to be a true-blue fan. Thanks! On to Chapter 5!

Chapter 5

Cody had never been so joyful in his existence. The date was pressing toward Halloween, and every day was pure bliss…

Cody shook his head, hard, clearing it of the stupid flowery language. _If I keep thinking with words like those, I'll end up in the Bad Poet's Society!_ He took a look at Conner, who walked beside him through Reefside High's halls, and buried the need to smile. They walked at the precise distance of friends hanging out, casual and mellow. No one would ever know just by looking at them that they were together.

_Together?_ That was the question. _We make out like bandits whenever we have the chance. Between school, training, and homework, we don't get a lot of privacy. He doesn't love me yet, I know that. I guess we ought to take things as slowly as possible; Conner is still getting used to me. But how long is long enough?_

"Hey, Brighteyes, what's up?" Conner asked, breaking Cody's train of thought. "You look like you're tryin' to solve all of life's mysteries."

"No, just one of them," Cody shrugged. "Our relationship. Now I know why other dudes freeze up when their girlfriends bring up the subject of talking about their feelings."

A hush fell between them, but at least Conner didn't distance himself straight away. He didn't distance himself at all. He just waited til they were outside and away from possible prying ears. "Cody, don't you know my feelings already?"

"I know that you're fond of me. Despite what a lot of people think of you, you're generous and caring. Heck, you're a _Ranger_, how could you be uncaring about anything? As long as you counted me an equal partner, I'd follow you anywhere."

"But you're not allowed to follow me because Dr. O has forbidden it." Conner looked annoyed over that. "I _do_ count you as my equal; you can seriously kick some bad guy ass. But when Elsa hurt you…"

Conner felt such a wave of fear and guilt that it nearly made Cody's knees give out. "It's not your fault, Conner, it's mine. I _still_ feel genuinely stupid about that crackbrained mistake. Sensei Wan Bei would have ripped me up one side and down the other, then thrashed me around the dojo twenty or thirty times. I wish Dr. Oliver _had_ done that; it'd make me feel a lot less guilty and dim-witted."

Cody's companion laughed his smooth, husky laugh, the laugh that jump-started his heart and him feel like his blood was burning. Looking around carefully, and using his gift, he sussed things out. They were absolutely alone at the moment.

Conner's moment of shock was gratifying when Cody tackled him into the bushes, kissing him hungrily. Bodies wrapped around each other, hands roaming, mouths moving eagerly, the unlikely pair fed their increasing passions. Their groins touched, and both threw their heads back, moaning. Shuddering with need, Cody forced himself to stop. It took a Herculean effort, but he did it. "Conner, stop!"

Puzzled as all hell, Conner stopped, and Cody wriggled away from him. "_Dude_, what…"

"This isn't the right time," Cody explained. "Wrong time, and definitely the wrong place. I apologize. I was the one to do the tackling. That laugh of yours drives me crazy."

"So when's the _right_ time?"

"We'll know when it comes, Red Knight."

"If you say so, Brighteyes."

XXXXXXX

"Tommy, I think I'm getting an energy signature from a new Dino-gem." Haley announced.

Tommy looked up from the letter he was reading, and rubbed his eyes. "You _think?_"

"It's bizarre." Her frustration made Tommy hide a smile. Good old Haley; she got mad at anything that didn't conform to her brand of rational thinking. "It's like a… ghost or something! It shows up, it vanishes in a blink. From what I've been able to scan in the short times between appearance and disappearance, this Gem is _powerful_. Power to rival any of the other Gems and then some."

"If Mesagog has gotten any readings from the new Gem, and he probably has, he'll be wild to get his claws on it."

"Call me crazy, Tommy, but I don't think Mesagog will find it. I don't think _anyone_ except its chosen person will have it."

"So… it's sort of like the Gem is giving a head's up that it's out there, but it won't show itself until the chosen one takes it up." A mental touch made Tommy look up, toward the Zord bay. "Braccio is uneasy."

"It happens every time the new Gem pops up on the scanners. You've been pre-occupied if you didn't notice it before now."

"I worry a lot about Conner and Cody."

"Why worry? They're working everything out nicely, they don't need anyone sticking their nose into it. Butt out, Tommy."

"I worry because Cody's gift is a potential ticking time bomb, and Conner _has_ to focus on his training."

"You've been drilling both of them relentlessly. Cody kicked you out of his mind during your last session of hypnotizing, and kept his barriers strong enough to keep you out. As for Conner, he's been following the program _and_ working out with Cody. Stop being such a worry-wart."

"Does Cody _truly_ understand the life of a Ranger? That every time we go out to fight, someone might not come back?"

"Believe it or not, he does. We spent several hours at the café talking about it one afternoon. He's terrified of that possibility, but he also understands the need for the greater good to be achieved. More than anything, he wishes he could help you guys. He _does_ do his part to make my life a little easier so I have more time to dedicate to the cause."

Tommy spent a lot of time thinking _that_ over.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer, ratings and warnings are at the top of page 1.

Chapter 6

Halloween at last! Conner was high-strung with anticipation of the night. Cody smiled, admiring the Red Ranger openly. He and Conner were both dressed as gothed-out ravers, and Conner looked luscious in artfully torn baggy jeans, red t-shirt, chains and clip-on facial jewelry. The crowning touch was the kohl pencil and eyeliner. Conner's beautiful eyes looked wildly dangerous and unbelievably sexy.

Cody was dressed a little risqué; his torn jeans were tightly molded to his body, his gray t-shirt cut fashionably ragged at the bottom, his more elaborate eye makeup making his eyes gleam like jewels. They both wore combat boots and leather jackets.

"You're lookin' pretty good," Conner grinned, while the crowd at Haley's moved around them. Kira and her band were playing raucous songs, throwing in Halloween favorites once in a while.

"You're not so bad yourself, McKnight," Cody grinned back. "I'm glad we agreed to matching outfits."

"You look a lot prettier than I do."

They stared at each other for a long moment, until Cody realized just how high the sexual tension was rising. He looked away, controlling his emotions ruthlessly. "We gotta stop doing that."

Conner coughed, a tinge of red in his face. "Yeah. Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Cody, we're magnets to each other or something. We're gonna lose the fight sooner or later…"

"I'd still rather it was later, Conner." Cody's mind and heart fought like cats and dogs. His heart said _yes_ while his mind said _no._

Conner was frustrated, Cody could sense that loud and clear. "My top brain and lower brain are bitching at each other," he finally joked.

Cody gave a weak laugh. "Mine too. Let's just dance and have a good time tonight."

"You got it, Brighteyes."

XXXXXXX

"They're repressing so hard, it's amazing that everyone else isn't drowning in it." Haley commented. Trent swallowed an urge to giggle. The way Haley just came out and _said_ stuff like that was mildly scandalous.

"Maybe they're just behaving in public?"

"Hah. They know they like each other, but they hold back. No doubt they have their reasons, but it's not good for them."

"How do you know that?"

"_Look_ at them, Trent."

Trent studied Conner and Cody. They were dancing with a good amount of space between them, but they moved like two people sharing a brain, sinuous, hypnotizing. The connection that existed there was more or less visible for those who knew what to look for. And the vague pain in their eyes certainly confirmed Haley's hypothesis.

"They're going to explode."

"You got that right, Trent. Let's just hope it won't happen at the worst possible time. Whenever that might be."

XXXXXXX

At midnight, the party ended. Everyone except the Rangers and Cody left. They stayed to help Hayley and Trent clean up; the place was an absolute disaster area. "You can always tell how great a party was _after_ it's done and you see the mess left behind." Cody's quip had left people chuckling.

Tommy hauled a basin full of dirty dishes up to the counter. "Can I get a glass of water, Haley? I'm parched." He untied the bandana on his head and shook his head, glad that he could get rid of at least part of his bandit costume.

Haley passed the basin to Kira the punked-out rag doll, who lugged it back to the kitchen to be loaded into the dishwasher by Ethan some-kind-of-cyborg. The Goth Club Kids wielded brooms while Trent-Frankenstein wiped down tables.

"Here you go," Haley said, passing Tommy a glass of water.

"Bless you, Haley," he said fervently, drinking it down in three gulps. "Tonight was a good night, huh?" It had reminded Tommy of the old days back in Angel Grove with the first group of Rangers.

"It really was," Haley agreed with a wide smile. "Almost as wild as the dorm parties."

"Thank the Power we can at least keep alcohol under wraps here," Tommy chuckled. He remembered college parties all too well, especially the raucous blow-outs thrown by the Greeks.

"The power, and the law," Haley agreed. "Cody did well in the crowd of over-excited kids."

"He was too distracted by Conner to notice anything else. That's not good. That kind of single-minded focus will get him hurt if he ends up in another fight with us."

"You worry too much. Cody wouldn't flake out during a battle, I'd make a bet on that. Personally, I wish they'd hurry up and get into a deeper relationship. Anyone with half a brain can see they belong together."

"Maybe they don't want to rush."

"The sparks flying between them are intense enough to ignite a forest fire."

"True. They _do_ seem custom-made for each other. Conner's strength helps Cody with keeping himself on an even keel; Cody's steadiness has made Conner a lot less reckless."

"Now they need some romance…"

The jukebox whirred to life, and Trent blushed a little as Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" started playing. He looked up from the music machine, catching Kira's eye. "We didn't get a chance to dance."

"Neither did we. Not a slow dance, anyway." Conner held out a hand out to Cody, who blushed shyly as he put his hand in Conner's. The two couples made their way to the dance floor with no objections from their friends. Kira and Trent were a little awkward, in an endearing way. Conner pulled Cody close; Cody tucked his head into Conner's shoulder, and Conner nuzzled Cody's hair against his cheek.

"Looks like they'll be fine when it comes to romance." Tommy commented, settling back against the bar to watch the scene in peaceful contentness.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimers, warnings and rating can be found at the top of page 1.

A/N- I'm really having fun with this one. Glad you're along for the ride.

Chapter 7

Mid-November.

Conner and Cody were mixing it up against Trent and Kira and Ethan, and kicking their butts. Their teamwork was improving every day, and Tommy was actually pondering the possible benefits of Cody joining in on patrols. Cody could always get away on a Raptor Cycle if things got out of hand. He'd go if Conner told him to, Tommy was sure.

"OK, guys, that's enough!" Tommy called to his students, a bare second before Conner could lay the final smackdown on Kira. He looked like he could have broken something while pulling the blow. Cody caught him before he could fall. Yes, their teamwork was incredible.

"How'd we do today, Dr. O?" Ethan asked, his usual smile in place.

"Pretty damn good," Tommy answered, taking a pull from the beer bottle in his hand. He didn't indulge in things like beer often, and only one a day when he did. "Conner, I'd like you to teach Cody how to ride a Raptor Cycle. You up to it?"

"Hell yeah!" Conner exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "Does this mean that Cody can finally ride patrol with us?"

"With provisions." Tommy held his hand up.

"You want me to be able to ride a Raptor Cycle so I can get away if the fighting gets too hot."

"Sometimes you put things together way too fast, Cody."

"It's simple logic. I can help you, but only to a point. Then I'm a liability." Cody stuck his hands deep into the pockets of the oversized cargo pants he wore to work out in, letting a fall of hair hide his face.

"I don't mean it that w…"

"I know you don't, Dr. O. I just… I have _one_ extraordinary thing I can do, and it's useless. I'm not a Ranger, I can't do what you guys can without getting killed." Cody looked at Conner with longing. "I'd give almost anything to be able to fight at your side and watch your back _all_ the time, instead of just part of it. But I guess I'll take what I can get."

"Cody…" Kira spoke, but Cody shook his head.

"I'm all right. Honestly. But I need to go, Mom wants me home early tonight. I'll see you all tomorrow."

They all watched Cody climb into his car and drive away. Conner looked so dejected and miserable, Tommy wished he knew what to say to make it better. Too bad there weren't any words that _could_ make things better.

XXXXXXX

Cody sat on the hood of his car, parked at the top of a bluff that overlooked the forest. He hadn't been lying about his mom wanting him home early, it was just that, to her, "early" meant some time before seven o'clock, and it was hours before seven.

_If only there was some way. But I don't see any Ranger power in my future, and I'd rather die than be one of Messagog's mutations. I just have to suck it up. At least now I get to be a more active participant in the fight, instead of forever sitting on the sidelines._

A light breeze blew hair into Cody's face, and he pushed it away absently. It was the sitting around thing that drove him nuts; Dr. O was offering to allow him the responsibility of being with Conner and the others when the fighting descended.

_Haley and I can actually _make _that body armor we've been speculating about. I know Mom will want to help, so we'll have access to the best cloth-like Kevlar in the world. The armor would be the perfect thing to firmly convince Dr. O that I'm ready for this._

Cody's spirits lifted from somewhere down in the basement, and he perked up considerably. At least lately he could keep himself from being too moody, as well as keep others out of his head. _Maybe if I swing by the lab, I can beg off going home early, and go get Conner to go out tonight, it _is _Friday._

Cody hopped off his car and turned to walk to the driver's side door. Out of the blue, a bright green flash of light blinded him. _Invisaportal!_ Moving by reflex, Cody ducked and rolled, opening his mind just the tiniest bit. Maybe he couldn't see them, but he could feel them. The lizard-alien crawling that were the Tyrannodrones, the bleak hate that was Zeltrax, the raging burn that was Elsa.

He began fighting for his life, still blind from the Invisaportal's light. He didn't need eyes to see them. _The Rangers will know. Dr. O's got those alarms, I only need a few minutes…_

Every second felt like a lifetime, though. Even with his empathy, fighting blind was difficult; as hard as running uphill with a weighted backpack. A bubble of panic formed in his stomach; there were so many of them! Tyrannodrones surrounded him on all sides, wearing down his defense.

"Why don't you just make it easy on yourself and give up, kid?" Zeltrax growled in boredom.

"Go fuck yourself, helmet-head," Cody snarled, "with a two-foot titanium dildo!"

"Ooooo, this one has real spirit," Elsa purred.

"I'll make him wish he's never been born…"

The Tyrannodrones moved away, and Cody could feel and hear Zeltrax rushing him. This was the guy who handed Dr. O's ass to him on a semi-regular basis. The one the other Rangers could never beat. The bubble of panic burst open, making Cody move on self-preserving instinct.

As Zeltrax swung a fist at the teen, determined to take his head off, Cody took a half-step backward and caught Zeltrax by the arm.

He didn't quite understand what he did; it was sort of a mental scream combined with his terror, and it crashed into Zeltrax like a kick in the head. The armored man shrieked, and fell away.

"What… _what have you done?"_ Elsa screamed.

Cody clutched his head, falling to his knees. He felt sick, disoriented…

A sharp pain at the base of his neck threw his consciousness into darkness.

XXXXXXX

Everyone in the Dinolair jumped when Conner screamed a wordless denial and fell to the floor. Tommy reached him first, lifting him off the floor. The Red Ranger was shaking with the force of soundless sobbing, tears pouring down his face. "Conner? Conner! What is it, what's wrong?" Kira asked frantically as she took possession of his left hand. Ethan took Conner's right hand, and it was like a gestalt snapped into place. Conner calmed somewhat as his teammates lent him their strength.

"Cody," Conner whispered hoarsely, anguished. "It's Cody, something's happened to him, something bad. Right after the alarms went off, he did something… a little desperate, I think. Now I can't feel him very much at all, like he's far away or knocked out… _not_ dead! I'd know it if he was dead."

Tommy's jaw was hanging open. He shut his mouth with an audible _click._ "I had no idea that you two had connected so deeply."

"Me neither, till just now… Oh God, it's Mesagog, who else would want hurt Cody? Mesagog has him, Dr. O!"

"Don't panic, Conner." Kira said firmly. "_I_ escaped from Mesogog's hideout, and Cody is a lot smarter than I am!"

"But is he as strong…" Tommy asked himself aloud.

He shivered when no answer was forthcoming.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimers, warnings and rating can be found at the top of page 1.

A/N- This chapter will long, I think. It's the chapter I've been _waiting_ to write! (Yes, I'm still waiting for a better moment for you-know-what!) If this thing is still without proper punctuation, I dunno what the heck is goin on.

Chapter 8

Pain. It was all Cody knew as he slowly woke up. His body hurt and his head screamed like an abscessed tooth. Oddly, his hands and feet were numb. Someone was moaning in misery; it took him several seconds to realize that it was him.

"Good. You are finally awake, human."

Cody was in too much pain to get _too_ frightened, but still, the threads of ice pulsed in his veins strongly enough to make him shiver. He shut all of his mental barriers in a frantic flurry of self-defense. The thing standing over him felt _vile,_ depraved, ugly purely evil.

Cody cracked his eyes open, relieved that his sight was ok. _Um what the fuck is this chair? Every kids Dentist Nightmare Hardware?_ Oh. His hands and feet were numb because he was shackled to the chair.

_"Look at me."_

Heavy pressure closed on Cody's mental shields, and he screwed his eyes shut, turning his head away. "No," he answered with as much defiance as he could dredge up.

A hiss like a teakettle shook his nerve, but Cody held fast.

"What did you say, boy? No one defies Messagog!"

_Messagog? Oh God, no Come on, dont cave, Conner wouldn't cave. _I think I just did.

"Insolent brat! You've been around the Power Rangers for too long!"

The pressure on his mind grew to nigh-unbearable. His head throbbed in agony. _No. I won't give in to this monster! I won't!_

"My lord?"

Hiss. "What is it, Fealdor?" The pressure let up on his mind, and Cody stifled a relieved breath.

"It is most peculiar, my lord. I have studied the boy's genetic material and I discovered a mystery. All humans have only twenty-three pairs of chromosomes in a strand of DNA. The Red Ranger's pet has twenty-four."

Cody was flabbergasted. _Red Ranger's pet? Conner would laugh himself sick after he beat Fealdor to pulp. Twenty-four chromosomes? Great. Now I'm a super-freak instead of just a freak._

Intriguing Messagog murmured. "Very intriguing. And he has strong mind-shields; I could not break them Fealdor, study his DNA further, and see what you can do with it. In the meantime, I will use the chair to strip his mind bare. Perhaps the Rangers know how to locate the new Gem."

"You won't win, Messagog." Cody ground the words out in a growl. No matter _what_ you do, I wont break.

"You will come to regret your stubbornness, boy."

The flick of a switch raised the pain to the level of hideous. Without shame, Cody threw back his head and screamed. Nothing wrong with screaming to express hurt, so long as he could hold his core self together. _I won't give up! The Rangers will find me, or I'll be taken to them as a hostage. By the Power, I swear, Conner, I won't let him break me._

XXXXXXX

Conner felt it as white-hot agony engulfed the portion of his mind that Cody occupied. His throat closed, and he choked on a sob.

"Conner?" Ethan asked softly.

"Messagog is hurting him." Conner sobbed, shoulders shaking. "It's awful. He's screaming."

Kira and Ethan shifted closer, and their proximity calmed him somewhat.

"We'll get him back, Conner. We _will_." Kira said fiercely. Ethan nodded emphatically.

"That right," Dr. O agreed. "We're a team, and we'll make it happen. I'll never give up my confidence in his strength. He _can _hold on. We all have to believe it. Conner, your connection _has_ to go both ways. Try to send him your strength and reassurance. Put aside your grief. For Cody."

_For Cody._ Conner was momentarily caught in that thought. Lately, everything he did was for Cody. Every thought tinged with warmth for his more-than-a-friend. Boyfriend, he admitted to himself. If Cody needed anything, Conner jumped to give it to him, and Cody did the same for him.

_Cody. You're so strong, and gentle and sweet, and at the same time youre tough as nails and ready to throw down. I dont know what I'd do without you now. You're in my life and in my heart_

In his heart? Conner poised on the brink of decision time.

And gave to the inevitable.

Conner shut his eyes and concentrated as hard as he could. What he sent along the mental connection wasn't words; neither he nor Cody were telepathic. It was _emotion_. Strength, calm, warmth, care and love. As much love as he could express in one wordless message.

XXXXXXX

Cody could only weep helplessly as the pain violated his body. His mind was turned inward, protectively huddled inside his shields, not allowing that damn machine to get into his head. Body and mind were separated, and he wasn't sure how it would affect him in the long run. Maybe he'd be fine, or maybe his mind would permanently disconnect from his body and float in an endless void while his body slowly died. He had no choice; this was the only thing he could think of to keep from being mind-raped.

Something tugged at him, demanding his attention. Cautiously, Cody checked out the feeling, braced for another mind-to-mind attack from Messagog.

Contact.

Cody was inundated in the flow of emotions from Conner; concern, worry, strength, warmth and _love?_

Yes. It was love, and Cody opened his heart to respond in kind.

XXXXXXX

Conner's eyes overflowed as Cody answered him; reassurance, strength, and such a flood of love that it left him feeling fuzzy and dazed, just like when Cody kissed him senseless. Their feelings locked together like hand closing on hand. No, it was _better_ than anything physical; it was a marriage of soul to soul, a bonding beyond all words.

"Dr. O, has answering. He's all right. And I know how to find him."

XXXXXXX

The pain ceased, and Cody carefully turned his attention outward again. _Ow. Oh fuckin A, OW!_ His bell was rung but good. He hurt in places hed never known he had. Every pulse of his heart sent a fresh wave of suffering through his taxed body. He drew on deeper resources, on the strength Conner gave him, to push the condition of his physical self aside so he could function.

Messagog was staring at him in fury. The cruel gaze of that reptilian monster sent shivers down his spine. _Courage. Thank you, Conner._

"It seems that I cannot break you."

Cody shook his head. _No, you can't._

"You do not have any information about the new Dinogem."

Cody smiled in mockery. Even if his answers made Messagog kill him, he could die happy. Conner loved him.

"You killed Zeltrax. Or as good as killed him. His mind is broken beyond even my ability to put it back together."

_I'm sorry as hell about that, but he was about to kill me. Or seriously maim me. I refuse to feel guilty for taking that bastard out._

"Your only value now is to blackmail the Rangers. I will kill them, and then I will kill you."

_Sorry, chuckles, but I doubt they'll make it that easy._

Cody said nothing aloud, but he was sure that eyes were saying everything he needed to get his point across.

"Your DNA is proving to be useful, though. Such strong empathy you possess. I know how you destroyed Zeltrax. The ability can be incorporated into a monster's makeup. What will the Rangers do when they're too frightened to fight, or too sad, or driven to madness? Any emotion I want them to feel, they will be drowned in it."

Cody ducked his head, not letting Messagog see his dismay, or his anger. _We'll see about that, Jurassic Punk._

XXXXXXX

Conner _knew_ he could find an Invisaportal that would take them straight to Cody. The Rangers rode their vehicles down a backwoods road, Conner in the lead and letting his sense of Cody guide him. It was like being drawn along by a rope.

"Are you _sure_ this is the right way?" Ethan asked nervously. Conner couldnt blame him for being nervous.

"Conner is following his heart, Ethan, so this is the right way," Kira said firmly.

A few seconds later, Kira was proven right. An Invisaportal flared to life, discharging a batch of Tyrannodrones, a monster that looked like a cross between a dragon and a frog, Elsa, and Messagog himself, who was dragging Cody, hands bound behind him and blindfolded, along by a leash that was hooked to a tight leather collar around his neck. A cruelly casual tug sent Cody sprawling into the dirt with a wounded yelp.

Conners temper flared to maximum, the flames in his gut bursting into bonfires. "Cody!"

"I'm ok! Dont worry about me!"

Conner sensed caution pour out from Cody, and it made him swallow his anger, conserving it and putting it away for later.

"You _should_ worry about him, Red Ranger," Elsa smirked, whipping out a sword and touching it to Cody's neck. Cody went totally still, and Conner could his sudden surge of fear.

"If you hurt him..."

"You'll what, Ranger?" Messagog purred sinisterly. "Lift a finger and Elsa will destroy your pretty little toy."

"What do you want, Messagog?" Black Ranger demanded, voice shaking in rage.

"The Gems, of course. Give them to me, and the toy will be released unharmed. Deny me, and pay the price in blood. _His_ blood."

_"No!_ He'll kill me anyway, then kill you!" Elsa kicked Cody in the stomach, ordering him to shut up. Cody writhed on the ground, laboring to breathe.

"Take them!" Messagog ordered the Tyrannodrones. The Rangers were suddenly neck-deep in lizard-freaks. Conner swore pungently and tried to fight his way to where the boy he loved was being held. As a minute passed, Conner felt a twinge of fear in his chest, a feeling that grew every second.

XXXXXXX

Cody could feel the level of fear rising; the monster was doing its work. He tried to suppress it, and a heavy wave of dizziness darkened his vision. Panting, he closed his eyes and waited the dizzy spell out.

_Too much in one day. Too much pain, effort, too much of Messagog, period. Oh God I'm out of strength, I need help, and the Rangers need me! Someone, something, anything! Help me!_

Cody felt like he was abruptly immersed in light and silence. Unconsciously, he dragged himself up to his knees, filled to the brim with that light. A sense of deadly menace circled him, but somehow he knew that it would never harm _him._

It talked to him, in a way, and he listened, very closely

XXXXXXX

Tommy froze in place, and so did everyone and everything else around him. Something _visceral_ was triggered in his mind. The panic hed felt before was nothing compared to what he felt now. He wanted to find a place to hide and never come out.

Cody was _glowing._ A grey-white mist circled his glowing form. He was still blindfolded and bound, but he was somehow the most menacing being present. Brief images appeared in the mist; a flash of teeth, a quick gleam of black eyes, a swirl of water.

_"Come to me!" _Cody cried out in a voice as loud as thunder.

The light and mist flowed into Cody's body, and then there was a Power Ranger standing in the place Cody had been kneeling. The color of the uniform was white-slashed grey, and the helmet was rimmed with monstrous, serrated teeth.

There was a new Ranger in town, and he was so frightening that Tommy wanted to gibber in panic.

The Rangers thrust his hands skyward and announced his Dino-Thunder identity.

_"MEGALODON!"_


	9. Chapter 9

-All ratings, warnings and disclaimers are at the top of Chapter 1.

A/N- All that time and Cody thought there were no Ranger powers for him. Surprise!

A/N2- I wanna give a shout-out to TBjpr, zeo_knight, and chop4tess, three people who have stuck with me all the way on this Magical Mystery Tour. Kudos!

Chapter 8

Cody took a moment to simply revel in his new powers. All five physical senses were a thousand times clearer. The power of empathy got tucked to the back of his mind, and he liked it that way. Dispassionate had to be the best thing to be; he couldn't allow his feelings, or anyone else's, interfere with being Megalodon. He was the Meg, the Meg was him, they merged into one life form

I am no longer the hunted, I am the hunter! The supreme hunter!

Now, none of that. Looking around, Cody realized that the Rangers were frozen, staring at him. I must be projecting the aura of the Meg. Better tone it down before they start to doubt me. Cody gathered his aura inward, and smiled as the Rangers were able to move again. Now, to deal with the abomination.

"The monster is mine. My genetic code was used to give it empathy. Taking care of it is my job."

Conner nodded, and the other Rangers plunged back into the fray. Black Ranger was aiming right for Messagog; Cody wished him luck, and resolutely faced the genetically engineered horror.

"You can call me Lizempra, Ranger," the beast snarled in a woman's voice.

"You can call me unimpressed," Cody drawled in his most impudent manner. A wave of pure terror emerged from Lizempra; Cody caught it and dismissed it with a contemptuous flick of one hand. "Those are my powers, bitch. I've got a lifetime of experience with them; you were born five minutes ago."

"Like that'll stop me!" Lizempra laughed, changing tactics. Instead of attacking Cody, she attacked the Rangers.

Or, she tried to attack the Rangers. In a burst of inspiration and instinct, Cody thought up a plan. A Megalodon possessed skin that was sensitive enough to pick up electromagnetic fields from miles away. He wasn't a semi-intelligent fish, he could manipulate EMF, surely. Well it was worth a try!

Cody touched the EMF around him, and crafted it into a smooth shield, flinging it up to protect the Rangers. It worked better than he'd thought it would; the EMF completely disrupted the empathic signals, dissipating them harmlessly.

Lizempra roared in fury, launching into a physical assault. She was fast… but not nearly fast enough. Cody stepped aside, grabbed her scaly hand and gave her the full tumbling hip toss. She landed badly, yowling. Cody had an open invitation for finishing the fight.

Again, instinct kicked in. Cody raised his fist, and, gathering in energy, summoned a sword. Whirling it in a ripping twirl, he readied himself…

"Shark Attack!"

He snapped the sword out and aimed at Lizempra. An image of a shark with extended jaws preceded the raw force of the blow, and the monster erupted in a spectacular fireball.

XXXXXXX

The rest of the Rangers gathered around him, loud with congratulations. "Messagog?" Cody asked. Black Ranger shook his head.

"He and Elsa made it back through the Portal and sealed it shut. The Tyrannodrones sort of… scattered. They'll find their way back through other Portals."

"But that's not like their usual behavior," Kira protested.

Ethan nodded. "This smells fishy. Uh, no offense, Cody."

Cody laughed. "None taken, Ethan. Wow! Now I don't miss out anymore!"

Conner grabbed Cody by the waist and spun him around in a circle. "And I don't have to worry about your safety anymore. The Megalodon! Un-fucking-believable! Oops, sorry, Dr. O."

Dr. O shrugged. "We now have another Ranger to join in the battle. The Grey Ranger, since we already have a White Ranger."

The communicators all went off at once. Dr. O answered. "What's up, Haley?"

"Rangers, Elsa and the leftover Tyrannodrones are attacking the lab where Cody's mom works, and this time they're going to get inside!"

"Mom!" Cody exclaimed. "We gotta go!"

XXXXXXX

Tommy worried about Cody, who was riding behind Conner on the Red Raptor Cycle. The Megalodon had been the apex predator of the prehistoric world, the king of the oceans. Sixty feet in length, a gaping maw that could easily swallow a small elephant, seven inch teeth, a bite that exerted 200,000 pounds of pressure per square inch, a nose that could smell one drop of blood per a billion parts of water, a sensory organ just under the nose that sensed electric fields, and senses sharper than the best dog's, all of those things, and tremendous speed and strength were what had made the Megalodon such a fearsome hunter.

And now a teenage boy has a Dinogem with all that power… Tommy worried about it because it had the potential to be harmful to Cody. But would a Dinogem do real harm to its owner? Well, there was that handful of tense days when the White Gem seemed to be twisting Trent, but Trent's strength of heart and purity of spirit drove the Gem's darkness away. Sharks don't have a conscience, it's Cody's choices that matter.

The cycles squealed to a halt in front of the lab. Cody leaped off the Raptor Cycle and pelted for the ruined door with Conner right behind him. Tommy got off the ATV and followed Ethan and Kira inside.

Tommy, Ethan and Kira were hardly needed; Conner and Cody had plowed through the Tyrannodrones like a knife cutting through hot butter. "We have to slow those two down before they hurt themselves," he stated.

Inside the spacious lab, things were a mess. Files all over the floor, broken beakers and test tubes strewn every which way, and two furious Rangers battling an equally furious Elsa weren't helping. Mrs. Griffith was safely ensconced in a defensible closet with her assistants. "Are you alright, Mrs. Griffith?" Tommy asked.

"Don't worry, I'm fine, so are my workers." She leaned in close and spoke so only Tommy could hear her. "The one in the gray-white uniform… that's my son, isn't it? I'd know him no matter what he wears."

"Yes," Tommy answered. "He chose it for himself, Mrs. Griffith. Or rather, the Gem chose him, and he accepted it. Yellow, Blue, take Mrs. Griffith and her associates out of here and look out for them. I'll be with Gray and Red."

The civilians were hustled out. Tommy plunged into the fight, forcing Conner and Cody back from Elsa. "Take it easy, you two! You're not invincible! Remember teamwork! Never run off by yourselves like this again!"

Elsa cackled. "You're so sickening, Tommy! Can't you shorten those dramatic little speeches? Oh, never mind. I have what I came for. Byebye!"

A flash-bang smoke bomb prevented the Rangers from following Elsa. "Dammit!" Cody swore, and his language degraded from there. The range of Cody's use of bad language was nothing short of genius. When he wound down, he added an apology to Tommy for swearing.

Cody's mother had an even more extensive vocabulary, and she put it to good use when she discovered what was missing.

"They took the new Kevlar fabric samples and the formula to make more. Your foes are going to be well-armored, Black Ranger."

As if things weren't bad enough, Cody moaned and de-morphed. He looked terrible; pale, shaking, tired. Conner caught him before he hit the floor. "Call an ambulance, Mrs. Griffith."

XXXXXXX

Cody snapped awake, hearing a low beep-beep, feeling air waft up his nose. He tried to sit up, and fell back, weak as a kitten.

Conner was next to the bed, in a chair, dozing. "Conner? Hey, wake up…"

Conner sat up and let out a soft noise of utter relief. "Cody. You're finally awake!"

"What? How long have I been asleep?"

"You weren't just asleep, you were in a coma. It's been eight days since you passed out in the lab."

"Eight days?" Cody gasped.

"Yep. Eight days. I wasn't worried." Conner took Cody's and pressed his cheek to it. "I could feel it, that you'd wake up and be fine."

"But why did…"

"Why?! Cody, you were kidnapped, tortured by Messagog, drug around on a leash, then received Ranger power, and not just any power, it was Jurassic Shark power. You were utterly worn out."

"Huh," Cody grunted. "Thirsty…"

"Wait a few, the doc's gonna want to look you over before you can have anything." Conner pressed the call button.

Over the next few hours, there were visitors who didn't mind if Cody occasionally napped. Dr. O, Ethan, Trent and Kira, and his mom.

"Don't feel guilty, son," Mom told him, smoothing his hair. "It's not anyone's fault that the evil bitch took the formula and samples. It'll take me some time, but I'll develop a liquid compound to destroy it. I hate taking my own work apart, but Messagog can't be allowed to keep the armor-cloth."

Conner was adamant about remaining despite the nurse's protests about visitors after hours. Finally, she got tired of arguing and agreed to let Conner stay.

"I still can't believe that I'm a Ranger," Cody said softly, while Conner dimmed the lights and tucked the blankets around Cody.

"And a great one," Conner grinned, stretching out beside Cody on the hospital bed. "I'm psyched that you can be on the team now. A little worried, maybe, but happy."

What's on your mind?"

"You're my boyfriend, I love you. You'll be fighting, getting hurt…"

"You think I never worry about you? I've been sick with worry because I was always on the sidelines watching you leave!"

"What a pair we make. I'm willing to stick with you, if you are with me?"

"Not even Messagog could keep me away."


	10. Chapter 10

-All ratings, warnings and disclaimers are at the top of Chapter 1. This chapter, _very_ bad language, lots of moaning and sweating, definite NC-17!

A/N- There will be more tales in this verse, but this story is finished. This is the finale, and now y'all get the LEMON you've been waiting for. Lol! If any of you want to borrow Cody and write you own fic in this verse (The Megalodon Verse), just message me as a heads up and then feel free to post, with a link back to this fic.

A/N2- OK, I'll spell out the address to Cody's picture, so fill in the proper punctuation and you should see it.

httpcolonslashslashi149dotphotobucketdotcomslashalbumsslashs46slashmegsjedislashcody1dotjpg

Put in cody2dotjpg at the end and see Cody's new theme clothes done in gray.

Chapter 10

_Christmas Eve_

Conner was so excited he was bouncing off the walls. His Mom and Dad were spending the night at Eric's ninja school to visit him, and would be back in the morning to spend Christmas Day at home.

The first thing on the agenda was caroling with the Rangers, followed by a group dinner, and then Connor had _big_ plans. Cody was staying overnight, and even if he didn't want to go where Conner was planning, they'd still sleep in each other's arms for the first time on the most beautiful night of the year.

He had to laugh at himself. He'd _never_ put so much effort into a girl as he did in his relationship with Cody. _Guess I never _loved_ a girl. No girl ever meant much to me, not the way that Cody matters to me._

The doorbell rang, and Conner dashed out the door to join his friends. Cody stole a kiss before the group got underway. They'd talked it over, and agreed to keep their relationship very low-key in public, at least until they graduated. It was a sad but true fact that people were too intolerant; they'd just avoid insanity.

_Till graduation Or maybe Prom._ Wouldnt _that_ be kicking a hornets nest? The idea was amusing. Maybe Cody would go for it.

Conner knew his singing wasn't too great, but Cody and Kira made up for any melodic deficiency. Trent wasn't bad, either. Dr. O and Ethan were all right, and their carols were well-received by the neighborhood. When Conner tried to sing parody lyrics, Cody calmly dumped a handful of snow down the back of his jacket. That started a free-for-all snowball fight that the children of the area joined with unholy glee.

Eat, drink, and be merry was the motto at dinner, eaten at one of Reefside's better restaurants. They all pitched in to pay, so there was plenty of eating, drinking, and making merry.

"Seems like even Messagog has respect for a holiday," Kira commented, watching Trent and Ethan fence with breadsticks.

"Don't say that too lightly, Kira," Haley warned her, tossing a napkin at the Yellow Ranger's face. Kira caught it and threw it back.

"Let's not even think about it, ok?" Trent asked plaintively.

"I agree to that!" Cody said decisively, standing up, glass of sparkling cider in hand. "I'm not very good at making toasts or speeches, but I can try. Here's to you, my friends, for accepting the long-haired scar-faced misfit that I am. I've found out a lot about myself since I moved here to Reefside. Like, never answer Cassidy's questions, don't jump into fights you can't win, and don't make lizard-men angry." He paused while a chuckle circled the table. He sat back down and spoke in a softer voice. "And to you, Conner, my heart, my life, my best friend. Here's to many more Christmases together."

"Here here," the toast was returned.

Cody's smile made Conner's heart go into meltdown. Their empathic bond radiated warmth and love.

After dessert and exchanged good-nights, Conner and Cody left the restaurant in Cody's car. Conner really liked the muscle car's rumbling engine sounds; they were soothing. All too soon, they were at Conners home, going inside, making hot chocolate, talking about everything _except_ being Rangers.

"I have a little surprise for you, Brighteyes."

"Oh? Show me." Cody wasn't one for beating around the bush that was for sure.

"Close your eyes."

Cody did as he'd been requested, and Conner led him to the living room. A flick of a switch turned on the Christmas tree lights and other various lighted decorations. In front of the faux fireplace was a nest of blankets and pillows; the fake flames danced merrily, realistically imitating a fire.

Conner slid his arms around Cody's waist from behind, his front pressed to Cody's back. He softly kissed the side of Codys neck before saying, "OK, open your eyes."

Cody did so, and sighed in appreciation, eyes shining. "This is pretty spectacular, my Red Knight. I'm impressed."

"Whew, I was kinda nervous about whether you'd like it or not."

Cody turned to face Conner, beaming. "I love it. I love you."

"I love you too."

It began with a kiss, only their lips touching, so sweet, kissing the softest lips in the world. Conner gathered Cody into his arms and lay down on the pile of bedding, not letting the kiss break. For a long time, they stayed there, kissing and caressing, taking their time.

Conner's kiss turned aggressive, and he was gratified when Cody made a needy sound and went pliant in his arms. It was a headrush, feeling the brave, stubborn, hard-headed and strong-willed Cody giving over and letting Conner take control. It felt _good_.

Conner knelt over Cody, their eyes locked together. A complex exchange of emotion and images passed between them. It seemed like they'd been together for years instead of months, all this time there had been intense heat stringing them along, and the time for the decision loomed.

Cody smiled a heart-stopping smile, and nodded his consent. Conners heart took a running leap into excitement.

"Cody, are you sure?"

"It's _real_ love, Conner, what we've been waiting for. I'm going to self-destruct if we wait one more minute!"

"We can't let _that_ happen, Brighteyes," Conner giggled. Slightly appalled that he'd actually giggled, he resumed the process of kissing his boyfriend senseless.

Slowly, the kissing turned into kissing and grasping at clothing. Conner kissed Cod'ys neck while he pushed Cody's shirt up, fingers seeking a nipple. When he brushed his fingers over a sensitive nub, Cody gasped loudly and lapsed into a quiet but constant litany of nonsense words. Conner felt like all the heat in his body had pooled in his groin.

Cody's hand went questing, and it was Conner's turn to gasp when Cody stroked his ass. The grasping turned into groping, and both of them stopped cold when their groins collided and the friction took their breath away.

"Clothes. Off." Cody panted. Conner nodded, and the stripping ensued, each one helping the other with removal. As each article of fabric came off, there was a brief pause for breathless whispers and quick touches before the next was removed.

When they were naked, their eyes roamed each other, both blushing. Cody pressed Conner to the floor by his hips, engulfing Conner's dick with his mouth. Conner yelled, his lurching up, but Cody held him down and began to suck him off. Conner's mind spun out of control as the heat and suction drove him crazy.

"No!" Conner took Cody by the shoulders and pushed him up. "God that feels awesome, but I don't want to go unless I'm inside you."

Cody kissed Conner lovingly. "Okay, if that's what you want."

"You're all right with being the catcher?"

"More than all right. I want you _in_ me, Red Knight. I want you to _own_ me."

They kissed until Conner calmed somewhat. Very glad that he'd flipped through a few books in a corner of the bookstore, Conner pushed Cody's legs apart and went down to Cody's tight opening. Slowly, carefully, he circled the rim with his tongue, his blood temperature rising at the sound of Cody's full-voiced moans of arousal. He licked Cody open, using his fingers to push the saliva in.

By the time Conner had three fingers in, Cody was begging, hands gripping the blankets, toes curling, head tossing back and forth on the pillows. "Conner, please, _please_, oh God, _please!_ I cant take anymore! Take me any way you want, but please _do it!"_

Conner settled back on his knees and pulled Cody into his lap and gradually entered him, Cody's back pressed against Conner's chest. Hushed whimpers passed Cody's lips as the inevitable pain came; Conner whispered words of comfort and rubbed his stomach and chest. When Conner was fully seated, they stopped, waiting for Cody to adjust and the pain to ease.

At an unspoken cue, Conner drew back, then pushed in, and Cody murmured a hum of pleasure. Conner cried out, tucking his head into Cody's shoulder. They moved together in a rocking motion, bodies locked into the motion.

Conner kept the pace steady until they were both sweating, trembling with the effort to move smoothly, to make this first time last as long as possible.

"Harder," Cody demanded, bearing down. "Fuckin' Christ, Conner, Jesus, _harder!"_

"Cody, fuckin' shit my God..."

_"Harder, Conner! Harder!"_

Conner sped up until he was pounding in and out of his boyfriend, biting down on Cody's shoulder, while Cody slammed himself back to meet every thrust. Conner reached around to stroke Cody off as his rhythm got more and more unsteady.

Climax crashed into both of them at the same time. The empathic bond opened to its fullest, amplifying every sensation tenfold. In that moment, they were not Conner and Cody, they merged into Conner/Cody, two united into one pulsing entity made of ecstasy.

Conner blacked out. When he roused from his stupor, he was lying on his side, still clutching Cody in a solid grip. He pulled his hips back, hissing softly as sensitive flesh left Cody's body.

Cody was passed out cold, so Conner re-arranged some of the bedding and pulled a blanket up around them both, with his Cody tucked into the curve of his shoulder. He watched the Christmas tree lights sparkle. In a few minutes, Cody started waking, snuggling into Conners chest. His eyes opened, so hazy with blissed-out joy that Conner chuckled, pretty sure that his own eyes were the same.

"Conner McKnight, You are in-fuckin'-credible," Cody drawled lazily.

"You're not so bad yourself, Cody Griffith," Conner answered, fingers combing through Cody's luxurious hair.

"You're my first and one and only, too. I don't want anyone else, ever."

"Ditto, Brighteyes."

They rested, watching the play of light and shadow from the faux fireplace dance over the walls. Catching Cody's eye, Conner grinned and began to kiss him again.

_Gotta love having the Ranger ability to bounce back into full energy recovery._

This was _definitely _the best night ever. And it'd only get better from there.

Conner was looking forward to forever with his beautiful Cody. A forever that didnt include a certain mutant lizard.

"I love you, Brighteyes."

"I love you too, Red Knight."


End file.
